Omaha daily bee., 1887-10-30
PLOTS AGAINST THE POLICE.
Chicago's ''Finest" Trying to Unravel
Anarchistic Devilishness.
MOVES OF A MYSTERIOUS MAN.
A Scheme Believed to Re Hatchins
to Blow Up Cook County Jail
"A Description OF
1t Secured.
Look Out For Dynamite,

CHICAGO, Oct. 16.-[Special Telegram to
the BEE. THE police of the Chicago avenue
station are displaying ceaseless activity to-
day and believe they have discovered an an.
archist plot to blow up the county Jail. One
arrest has already been made, and there is u
Likelihood of more tonight. Wednesday
morning strange man came to the Jail and
his movements were so suspicious that
Jailer Folz sent out for Deputy Sheriff Webb,
who has charge Of the men on the outside
and who is an old Central station detective.
This is the description of the man, rs fur
nished tothc police by Deputy Webb:
Stout built, about 5 feet inches tall
dressed in dark clothing, cutaway coat,
chinchilla overcoat, and stiff hat He has Q
heavy dark mustache and light sideburn
whiskers. He calls himself Joe Miller, and
speaks with an American accent.
This man had not been to the Jail before,
but he walked into the cage and talked
familiarly with Fischer, Lmgg, and one or
two of the others. He began to 'size up''
the interior Of the Jail, and before he left
walked into the Jail Office and seemed to
examine with more than curious in
terest the passages leading to tho
various wards. When he left Deputy
Webb followed him. The man walked
W Iut COTHcT VI MlCHlSdu anu SltTh SUTectB,
gave letter to letter carrier and then
walked north, stopping every half block to
look around in a careless fashion. Between
Illinois and Indiana streets he crossed North
Clark street, and then started south and
kept watchful, wary outlook until he
reached the bridge Webb followed him all
the time. A reporter who saw this man in
the Jail and Webb's observation of him,
shadowed both of them and saw everything
up to this time. AT the bridge the man
paused irresolutely, and Deputy. Webb
coming up the river and the bridge began to
turn slowly. The man appeared to be ina
ref cctivc mood and watched the bridge
tenders at their work. q But he suddenly
wakened into life and startled Webb Just
as the north end of the bridge swung clear Of
the abutment the man suddenly woke up,
made a dash for it and leaped upon the NOV
ing bridge. Webb saw the trick too late and
some yards of empty space interviewed be-
tween them by the time he checked him
self with an effort at the end of the abut-
ment. When the bridge closed the fugitive
lost himself among the crowd OF people
waiting to cross at the south end OF the Bridge,
and the batfiled deputy, after
fruitless search along Clark and South Water
street, returned to the criminal court build
ing and at once informed Captain Setback
and supplied him with q description of the
mysterious man. Thursday evening about 8
o'clock the same man was seen lettering in
the alley north of the Jail, reconnoitering tho
locality. A policeman noticed his queer ac-
tions and ran around to the Michigan street
entrance of the criminal building, where De-
tective Lowenstein and two or three others
may be found at almost any time. They fol-
lowed the policeman and the suspicious fell
low was pointed out to them. A boy about
twelve years old was with the suspected man,
who was seen to hand apaper to the boy. The
latter walked away whistlng toward North
Clark street. The man began to pick his way
through the alley. Both of them were fol-
lowed. Lowenstein caught the boy and
searched him. He found in his pocket
paper containing minute description Of
parts of the Jail. BY accident part Of this
description fell into the hands of a reporter.
1t read 'The north end of the Jail containes
fourteen windows of twelve pains each.
They are twelve feet from the ground and
barred with round iron bars" The words
contains and "panes," it will be observed,
are misspelled. The boy was taken to the
Chicago avenue police station and promised
to find the man who gave it to him. The man
himself made his escape, whether through
his own adrotness or the carelessness Of
those who followed him. is not known.
The police are pretty nearly as silent as
oysters about the occurrence. The man may
be under arrest Neither is it known what
the police have done with the boy. Captain
Schaak this morning when the reporter told
him about that part of the description found
by him, said that the description Of the Jail
had been made by his own men for his partic-
ular use.